Instagram is stretching well past snack-size videos. The platform on Monday started testing "Features"—a hub for horizontal videos up to 90 minutes long, aimed at podcasters, comedians, and other long-form creators—in the US, per The Hollywood Reporter. Users who see short reels will be able to tap straight into the full episode, said Instagram product VP Tessa Lyons, with the longer videos promoted via the "Explore" section and elsewhere. Early participants include SKIMS co-founder and podcaster Emma Grede and creator Monet McMichael.
The move puts Instagram in more direct competition with YouTube, as well as with Netflix and Disney, as they chase viewing time and podcast listeners. In a video talking about Features, Instagram chief Adam Mosseri conceded that "for a long time" he'd balked at doing long-form videos—partly due to concerns that users would share a lot fewer shorter reels and photos if they were caught up in longer videos—but that now the company planned to "lean in" to them, per the Verge.
TechCrunch calls it a "notable shift in strategy" for the social media platform. Lyons said Instagram is experimenting with ad revenue arrangements but isn't demanding exclusivity, per THR. Features, which has already been going through test runs in Brazil, will live on mobile and Instagram for TV, which is expanding to Apple TV, while a separate "Series" feature being tested focuses on episodic reels and microdramas.
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